Customer Reviews

Living With the Past

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1 star:		(3)

 

 

I've had the pleasure of seeing Jethro Tull Live many, many times; from the halcion days in the late 70's with the 'ultimate lineup' that included John Evans, David Palmer, Barrimore Barlow, and the late John Glascock, through that abysmal mid 80's time period when Ian Anderson's voice was bent and broken to the point that even the die hard fans were calling for his early retirement, to present lineup evident on this terrific new album. I'm pleased to announce that Ian's voice has completely healed and this band is doing better than ever.

This CD does a very good job of covering a huge catalog, giving snippets that range from the earliest to latest albums. Present are the ubiquitous AQUALUNG and LOCOMOTIVE BREATH - great old songs that many fans don't really need to hear agian; (I own at least 6 or 7 copies of these on various live releases.) but I understand why they need to be there. Also present are some favorite gems long ignored in the live show playlists: JACK IN THE GREEN, PROTECT AND SURVIVE and LIFE IS A LONG SONG. Perhaps the weak point of this disc, if there is one to be found, is the rather plodding performance of SWEET DREAM. It picks up at the end of the song, but it seems slow and stiff compared with other live versions on earlier albums; noteably on the BURSTING OUT album. The highlights of this album for me are THE HABANERO REEL, IN THE GRIP OF STRONGER STUFF and SOMEDAY THE SUN WON'T SHINE FOR YOU - that final song performed by the original Tull lineup of Anderson, Abrahams, Bunker and Cornick.

Now to the reason I'm writing this review - The great, the amazing, the highly underappreciated and underglorified, the masterful.....Martin Barre. This album features Martin's terrific playing, and he's never been sharper. This man is one of the finest masters of the electric guitar on the planet today, yet he is frequently ignored in the popular press, and is still often referred to as being the replacement guitar player for the band. While Ian Anderson is acknowledged as the driving force behind Tull, Martin Barre must be recognized as the power that has made this band a major force in rock history for more than 30 years. My goodness, he's been there since 1968 - playing on every album but the very first. Even Ian Anderson has said that without Martin, there would be no Jethro Tull!

In conclusion - this is a great CD with great performances from one of the most consistently popular bands in history. Worth every penny spent.

Tull fans for years have been asking for the release of more live music. However, given the specific choice of which live music they would like to listen to, well that could be debated. Would it be from the Aqualung tour? Or maybe even from the Songs from the Wood tour. Or maybe a collection of songs throughout the years? The only thing for certain in this reviewer's mind is that the songs would not be from a recent tour. Granted, the current band sounds as good or better than any Tull line up. But we all know that father-time has not been that kind to Ian's vocals.
So in true Tull fashion they release Living With The Past. A collection of live recordings primarily from 2001! And what of my skepticism you ask? This CD kicks some serious arse! The sound quality is superb, with Ian's vocals and the band sounding great! The inclusion of "Wond'ring Aloud" and "Life's A Long Song" backed by a string quartet are a delight as well, with the exception that they remind me of the genius of David Palmer who is no longer with the band. But, the highlight of the CD has to be the 1968 Reunion of original members performing "Someday the Sun Won't Shine for You". Sort of makes you wonder what might have been, had they stayed together? All in all this is a surprising "must-have" for my collection. Oh, did I forget to mention that Tull is currently on tour? Don't miss them.

"LWTP" is, for this long-time Tull fan, something of a bittersweet offering. On the one hand, it's always great to hear the band play its classic tunes in a live setting. On this CD, the sound is excellent and the selections are played tightly and mostly with conviction. On the other hand, "LWTP" really can't touch Tull's live masterpiece, "Bursting Out." "BO" is so graceful, so fluid, so wonderfully loose and confident, I still hear fresh things in it even after countless listenings. Of course, that was when Tull was in its absolute prime - the SFTW/Heavy Horses era - and at the top of their game. Likewise, I must place "A Little Light Music" ahead as well. That CD is brimming with imaginative variations, clever arrangements and some really inspired song selections from lesser known albums. The musicianship on that CD is top-notch, the music buoyant and joyful.

"LWTP," while certainly worth owning, lacks some of the risk-taking, creativity and surprises of these earlier live recordings. Sure, the band sounds great, but to these ears, just a little of the old Tull magic is missing. Nothing on "LWTP," for example, can touch the beauty of "One Brown Mouse" or the fury of "Minstrel in the Gallery" from "Bursting Out," or the gentle elegance of "Look into the Sun" or "One White Duck" from "ALLM."

Also, the set list here is a little too safe for me. Rather than the predictable inclusion of Aqualung and Locomotive Breath (both of which I am quite sick of), the inclusion of Dun Ringill, One Brown Mouse, With You There to Help Me, Reasons for Waiting, Velvet Green, Only Solitaire or Skating Away would have been far preferable. Of course, those are my personal favs and perhaps not yours. But do we really need to hear Aqualung and Locomotive Breath again? I will say, however, that the inclusion of Fat Man, Nothing is Easy, Roots to Branches and Habanero Reel are appreciated.

In summary, Tull fans will enjoy this. Just don't expect the Tull of 1978 or even 1992.

"Living With The Past" (not to be confused with the 1972 compilation "Living In The Past") is an excellent selection of recent live recordings from the mighty Jethro Tull. This CD covers music from all areas of the band's lengthy 35 year career and serves as an excellent introduction for the new Tull fan. The opening set of tracks was recorded at The Hammersmith Apollo in November 2001 and is pure evidence that Jethro Tull show no signs of slowing down. Highlights include slightly different arrangements of "My Sunday Feeling", "Aqualung" and "Locomotive Breath" plus great performances of "Roots To Branches" and leader Ian Anderson's solo material "The Habanero Reel" and "In The Grip Of Stronger Stuff".
Also included are two acoustic pieces recorded in Ian Anderson's home. Both "Wondering Aloud" and "Life Is A Long Song" are true to their original versions and include beautiful string quartet arrangements.
The next three tracks were recorded in a dressing room backstage in Zurich, Switzerland during Tull's 1989 tour. These acoustic pieces were performed by Ian Anderson, guitarist Martin Barre and former bassist David Pegg.
The two tracks recorded for a Dutch TV show, "Dot Com" and "Fat Man", benefit from the original studio versions while "Some Day The Sun Won't shine For You" is an awesome blues performance from the band's reunited 1968 line-up (Ian Anderson, Mick Abrahams, Glenn Cornick and Clive Bunker).

This truly is one of Jethro Tull's finest live albums. The performance quality of the band is flawless here. The current Tull line-up of Ian Anderson, Martin Barre, Doane Perry, Andy Giddings and Jon Noyce is their strongest yet. This is essential live Tull. A Flawless album.

I've been a fan of Jethro Tull for twenty-three of the thirty-four years they have graced albums and concert stages, and have always cringed at the decision of program directors and disc jockeys to limit Tull's radio exposure to a small handful of "hits," ignoring the group's more fascinating, enjoyable, and well-played compositions.

Thankfully, Jethro Tull concerts consist of a broader range of material, while also including "the hits" for the casual fans. The same is true for this new live CD, culled largely from a concert in November 2001 (though there are also some tasty acoustic performances from TV studios and dressing rooms over the years).

Complex instrumentals such as "In The Grip of Stronger Stuff" and the acoustic ballad "Jack In The Green" (inspired by a Celtic myth) show the range and diversity of the group - and frontman Ian Anderson's songwriting/compositional skills. Ian's flute playing is as more gorgeous and evocative than ever, particularly on "Roots To Branches" and a souped-up version of the old standard, "Living In The Past."

Space limits me from giving each band member their due, but they all deserve a mention for their sterling work here: Martin Barre (incumbent since 1969), Doane Perry, Andrew Giddings, and the most recent recruit, Jonathan Noyce (celebrating his seventh year with the band) all have their chance to shine.

For dedicated fans, this is a real treat. Those who view Jethro Tull as a "classic rock dinosaur" should check this out, and be ready for a real surprise.

Admittedly, as a listener of Jethro Tull since 1972, I was not all that enthused to hear about the plans for a live release. In fact, the last two concerts have left me wishing for a new, creative surge. Perhaps it was bad seating, noisy concert-goers, or heaven forbid, me turning into an old man before my time!

But, being able to know the importance of supporting GOOD MUSICIANS, (in any music genre) I ventured forth and purchased not only the CD but the DVD as well. I'm absolutely HAPPY to report to you all that these new releases are first-rate, spot-on efforts. The MUSICIANSHIP is obvious, the song selection balanced, the sound near-perfect, all sprinkled with healthy doses of professionalism that very few can pull off in today's mass-market 'music' world. All tracks are pulled off well, but for those who want hear what the POWER of a band like 'Jethro Tull' sounds like need only to listen to 'Nothing is Easy' on the CD (it's not on the DVD). Play it loud(ish) - amazing!

The DVD shows a very streamlined, not too many frills band in concert with thoughtful edit breaks thrown in to hold your interest and provide interesting sidelines to the band members as well as other bits. Watch closely as Ian 'eyes' the four orchestral string players to a proper finish; it gives a brief glimpse as to the hand he has on his musical ideas and how he sees them through. Or watch and listen with glee at the band's rendition of J.S.Bachs' Bouree' - this is a 'rock band'? No, not in the mass-market sense, because somehow they have invented their own form of music known simply as "Tull Music".

Oh yes, the five good reasons? Ian, MARTIN, Doane, Andrew, and Jonathon.

30 years ago, Jethro Tull may have been the best live band in the world. Their concerts combined an unbelievable level of energy, creativity, showmanship and virtuosity. A Tull concert was a true event in those days, consistently selling out the largest venues worldwide.

Unfortunately, there are no legal live recordings of any concerts during those glory years ('71 - '77)

Instead, Living With The Past looks in on a much kinder and gentler 2001 version of Tull in concert. Gone are the 15 minute drum and guitar solos and wild hard rock improvisations - and hair! Instead, the band today delivers a polite and polished set of well rehearsed favorites, that still sound darned good. While Tull's creative spark may have been reduced to a dying ember, the musicianship is still second to none, as evidenced on the beautiful instrumental "In the Grip of Stronger Stuff" from Ian Anderson's superb "Divinities" recording from 1995. Old favorites such as "My Sunday feeling" and "Nothing is Easy" still deliver the punch, even if Martin Barre, one of rock's greatest guitarists, seems content to play his riffs with just a bit less sting these days. "Locomotive Breath" too seems to have lost much of its steam, though it still rocks hard.

The home recordings of "Wondring Aloud" and "Life's a Long Song" are beautifully played, and make a great addition to the CD, with Ian's voice and flute sounding as good as ever.

After 35 years of concerts, the fact that Tull can still engage in yearly world tours and play such powerful, beautiful music is a real tribute to the character and passion of the band, and of Ian and Martin in particular. My hat is off to them.

I look forward to the as yet unreleased DVD, and expect that it will do quite well, as the world gets it's first real look at a Tull concert, which ain't what it used to be, but may just still be the best live rock out there.

Although Ian Anderson's voice has weakened a little over the years, he comes in loud & clear on LIVING WITH THE PAST. This isnt an "easy going" affair, the band rocks with plenty of energy and force. Of course AQUALUNG and LOCOMOTIVE BREATH sound great. There is also a terrific rousing rendition of SWEET DREAM. Guitarist Martin Barre is in typical great form throughout the album and really rocks on NOTHING IS EASY. More recent Tull tunes like ROOTS TO BRANCHES and DOT COM are great as well. I am very impressed with the clarity of the songs on LIVING WITH THE PAST. Tull fans will love it.

The CD has an advantage over the DVD of the same name: you don't have to watch Ian Anderson in somewhat uncomfortable late middle age; instead, you only hear a band that sounds forever young, sprightly, inventive, and technically masterful. The only drawback is Anderson's beleaguered voice, but even that sounds better on most of this CD than it has at any time in the last 15 years. Highlights for me include the most powerful version of "Nothing Is Easy" I have ever heard, as well as good, if overly familiar, renditions of "My Sunday Feeling" and "Living in the Past." Despite being an almost note-perfect copy of the original, this new version of "Roots to Branches" is somehow twice as memorable. While it was nice to hear "Jack-in-the-Green" again, this version adds nothing to earlier ones; but a reinvented "Fat Man" is a must-have for Tull fans. Low points for me include the well-intended "acoustic session in a stately home:" Anderson's poor voice renders these recordings meaningless, and the string arrangements are ineffective. (I haven't bothered to listen more than once to the zillionth recordings of "Aqualung" or "Locomotive Breath.") Still, all Tull fans absolutely need to have this CD. Casual fans probably only need to borrow it from them.

Jethro Tull's releases of concert performances are few when compared with the total volume of the band's product availability. However, due to the quality recording efforts of the Maison-Rouge Mobile Recording Studio, "Living With The Past" is a CD worthy of any music library. Just buy the studio versions of these tracks first. Then, savor the extended versions containing musicianship of astonishing quality.